The Niners have their options if they’re interested. There are proably a dozen NFL prospects in tonight’s game.
The final collegiate game of the season takes place tonight as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in the National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the first season of the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams. The Buckeyes and Irish are ranked 8th and 7th in the polls, respectively.
But if you’ve been paying attention all season, then you know that Ohio State is the most talented team in the country. Yes, they lost in a rivalry game, but this is a defense that is as stingy as anybody in the country.
The Buckeyes also have the best wide-receiving core in the country, and it’s not particularly close. Notre Dame’s secondary is legit, but in this game, they’ll face their biggest challenge. The Irish are down a cornerback and one of their best interior lineman on defense. It hasn’t bitten them yet, but that should change tonight.
Marcus Freeman has already proven himself to be one of the best coaches in college football. His defensive coordinator, Al Golden, could be hired away by the NFL. His offensive coordinator, Mike Denbrock, made Desmond Ridder a third-round pick. Freeman has an eye for talent when it comes to players and coaches. It’s the reason Notre Dame is here.
As one might expect, this game is full of talent. However, the two players who are likely to be selected the earliest will not play. Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons and Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison are projected to be taken in the first round. I have a feeling we will talk about Simmons quite a bit during the next couple of months.
You could argue the two most impactful players in this game aren’t eligible for the draft yet. Jeremiah Smith is already the best receiver in the country for the Buckeyes, while Jeremiah Love is a walking, explosive play.
Cornerback Jordan Clark, safety Xavier Watts, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins,, offensive tackle Donovan Jackson, cornerback Denzel Burke, edge rushers JT Tumimoloau and Jack Sawyer, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams are all players who will hear their names called during the NFL Draft.